Miss Miami 2024
Annie McGrath
Annie is a US History and Global Perspectives middle school teacher who is pursuing her Master’s degree in History at Florida Atlantic University. She is an advocate for women’s education and promotes this through her initiative, The United State of Girl, on her social medias, blog, and podcast. She is a lifelong equestrian and partners with local therapeutic riding centers to spread the love of horses to people of all abilities as well as bridging the financial gap of the sport by distributing gently used riding clothes to equestrians in need. Her most meaningful work is volunteering with The Women’s Circle where she tutors women in preparation for their US Citizenship test as well as working with Pace Center for Girls to spread their message of equitable education. Annie volunteers with VEX Robotics to promote women pursuing careers in STEM as well as coaching dance and theatre. Her advocacy is centered on making sure women and girls are met where they are with the resources they need to meet their educational and career goals.
Miss Miami Beach 2024
Ellee Kennedy
Bio: Ellee is an HVAC Smart Building Automation Sales Executive at Johnson Controls and is based right here in Miami. She is a proud graduate of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Music Business and Classical Voice in addition to her Master’s degree in Arts Presenting. Through her platform, “Slay the Sale,” Ellee hopes to make a difference in the Miami community by teaching all women the tools she’s learned through sales that are transferable to success in any industry. Be sure to check out her free blog and podcast series, www.slaythesale.com, where you can learn skills like active listening, non-verbal communication best practices, and how to build rapport. In her spare time, Ellee likes to play tennis and golf! Be sure to follow Ellee’s journey to Miss Florida this June on social media. You can find her by searching @miss_miamibeach.
Miss Miami Teen 2024
Kady McKenna
Kady is a 15 year-old honors student at Lake Highland Preparatory School (LHPS) and is currently completing a fellowship with the prestigious Miss Porter’s School Porter's Center for Global Leadership Change Maker's Institute. As an active member of the student body, Kady has served on the LHPS Leadership Team, captain of the middle school volleyball team, cheerleader, feature twirler, founder of the LHPS Environmental Impact Club and represents the Chinese language department at local events. She is an AAU Academic All-American Scholar and was selected as 1 of only 9 students chosen statewide to receive the Florida Agricultural History & Creativity award from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Kady has participated in the sport of baton twirling since the age of 7 and is a national strut champion with top 3 finishes in all national events, won Miss Majorette of Florida (Intermediate level) and was the AAU Florida Junior High Champion. An avid community volunteer, Kady has served as a Florida House of Representatives Page, completed her Girl Scouts Bronze Award, is a 3-time recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award Gold Medal and was inducted into the National Points of Light Inspiration Honor Roll.
Kady launched her 501c3 non-profit, eTreasure, Inc., in March 2015. Since then, Kady and her charity have been recognized as a global leader in electronics collection and recycling, awarded the Everyday Young Hero Award by Youth Service America and the Newman’s Own Foundation, the President’s Environmental Youth Award, Action for Nature’s International Eco Hero Award Winner and Kady was selected the Young Environmentalist of the Year by the John Muir Association. She currently serves as the youngest Youth Ambassador ever selected for the Aeras Foundation, working to close the digital divide. Kady’s book, “Sammy the Cell Phone Gets Thrown Away” won the Independent Press Award and the 2022 BookFest Award. It is available on Amazon and the Library of Congress Children’s Reading Room. On Earth Day 2023, Kady traveled to Boston where she was selected as a TEDx Speaker for her “idea worth sharing.” Kady continues to push for digital equity in all communities and is thrilled to be representing the City of Miami as Miss Miami’s Teen 2024.
Miss Miami Beach Teen 2024
Miriam Smith
Miriam Smith is a current honors high school student attending American Heritage School in Boca Delray. She is 16 and in her sophomore year. Miriam is an active arts advocate, starting her 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2022 called Big Hearts for the Arts, which advocates for the importance of arts education in schools and provides scholarships for kids who don’t have the resources to participate in the arts. She has been in numerous musical productions herself, such as The Fantasticks (2023), Into the Woods (2022) and Cinderella Kids (2019). Since 2022, Miriam has been an active member in the Miss America Opportunity. Her past titles consist of Miss Fort Lauderdale’s Outstanding Teen (2022) and Miss Treasure Coast Teen (2023). She currently holds the title of Miss Miami Beach’s Teen after winning the title in February 4th, 2024.